Turtles can be quite fascinating pets to own, they may not do too much so seeing them do something out of the ordinary will definitely make you take notice
Something out of the ordinary for your turtle may be the animal putting its feet up. This article looks into why these animals do this.
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Why do turtles put their feet up:
You as a turtle raiser and a turtle enthusiast likely want the best for your pet and the animal’s behavior can be a sign of its health, well-being and state of mind
Understanding why your pet does certain things will help you understand how the animal is doing
Here is why your turtle may put its feet up:
It’s getting warm:
Turtles are warm-blooded, their environment determines their bodily temperature. As a result, the animal needs to sit out in warm environments for thermoregulation, to increase their body temperature
Turles will bask under heat lamps in your home and will bask out in the sun while in the wild.
The sun’s warmth can pass through the shell and into the animal’s body but this may not be enough for the reptile.
To get warmer, the turtle will put its feet up extending as far as possible, and will also extend its arms to make what looks like a Superman pose. This exposes more of their skin to the sun
This allows the sun’s rays to directly hit the animal’s skin and warm the legs and arms. The heat that the animals absorb warms their body which helps the animal be more active.
Doing this also allows the animals to absorb as much UVB rays from the sun as possible.
This act of putting their feet up is a common behavior in turtles.
What to do:
You don’t have to worry if this is happening with your pet, this is a normal and natural behavior in turtles so you can let the animal be
You would only need to worry about your pet if it starts to show signs of illness or distress. If you see these signs then you may want to take the animal to the vet.
Air circulation:
Another reason why these animals will do this is to dry off and allow for air circulation.
If the turtle just spent time in the water, and wants to dry off quickly, then you may find that it stretches its feet out and puts them up to help its body dry off quicker.
The extending of the feet exposes the body to air which helps the animal dry off better.
What to do:
This is also normal behavior and isn’t something that you’d need to worry yourself over.
Stretching:
Stretching may also be the reason why your pet turtle puts its feet up, your reptile may be walking around all day but it may need to rest its legs or stretch them out once in a while.
What to do:
Nothing needs to be done in this case either, this is also an example of normal turtle behavior.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other turtle/tortoise related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why Is My Turtle Restless While Sleeping, Why Is My Turtle Restless While Sleeping, My Tortoise Is Not Responding, Why Is My Tortoise Stiff, Why Is My Turtle Swimming Upside Down, Hit My Turtle With A Lawn Mower, What Happens When You Drop A Turtle On Its Back?, Can Turtles Survive A Fall?, Turtle Bleeding From The Bottom Of Shell